Auxiliary tape cassette provided with case having guide surface around which printing tape is wrapped to form spiral portion

Abstract

An auxiliary tape cassette includes a roll configured of a wound auxiliary tape and a case housing the roll. The auxiliary tape is for printing on a printing tape. The case has a discharge port for discharging the printing tape and a guide surface for guiding the printing tape toward the discharge port. The guide surface is defined on an inner surface or an outer surface of the case. The printing tape is wrapped around the guide surface to form a spiral portion whose angle of rotation about a central axis of the spiral portion is greater than or equal to 180 degrees. The central axis is parallel to a winding axis of the roll. The guide surface includes a curved surface for guiding at least a portion of the spiral portion on an upstream side of the discharge port in a discharging direction of the printing tape.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An auxiliary tape cassette comprising:
 a roll configured of an auxiliary tape wound about a winding axis, the auxiliary tape being used for printing on a printing tape that is conveyed; and   a case housing the roll and having:
 a discharge port for discharging the printing tape from inside the case to outside the case in a discharging direction; and 
 a guide surface for guiding toward the discharge port the printing tape supplied from outside the case, the guide surface being defined on an inner surface or an outer surface of the case, 
   wherein the printing tape is wrapped around the guide surface to form a spiral portion whose angle of rotation about a central axis of the spiral portion is greater than or equal to 180 degrees, the central axis being parallel to the winding axis of the roll, and   wherein the guide surface includes a curved surface for guiding at least a portion of the spiral portion on an upstream side of the discharge port in the discharging direction of the printing tape.   
     
     
         2 . The auxiliary tape cassette according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the curved surface has a radius of curvature that is greater than one half an outer diameter of the roll.   
     
     
         3 . The auxiliary tape cassette according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the case has a tape cassette coupling surface crossing the winding axis of the roll, and   wherein the case includes a positioning part that positions the auxiliary tape cassette relative to a printing tape cassette including the printing tape, the positioning part being provided on the tape cassette coupling surface.   
     
     
         4 . The auxiliary tape cassette according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the case has a gear cassette coupling surface on which a gear cassette including a gear can be arranged, the gear cassette coupling surface crossing the winding axis of the roll.   
     
     
         5 . The auxiliary tape cassette according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the case includes a positioning part that positions the auxiliary tape cassette relative to the gear cassette, the positioning part being provided on the gear cassette coupling surface.   
     
     
         6 . The auxiliary tape cassette according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a gear disposed in the case so as to be separated from the roll in a direction parallel to the winding axis of the roll.   
     
     
         7 . The auxiliary tape cassette according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the case includes a restricting part for restricting the printing tape being conveyed along the guide surface from moving in a width direction of the printing tape.   
     
     
         8 . The auxiliary tape cassette according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the case has a restricting surface disposed so as to face the guide surface.   
     
     
         9 . The auxiliary tape cassette according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the guide surface is defined on the inner surface of the case, and   wherein the case has:
 a first outer surface crossing the winding axis of the roll; 
 a second outer surface sandwiching, in cooperation with the first outer surface, the roll in a direction parallel to the winding axis of the roll; 
 a first guide opening formed in the first outer surface; and 
 a second guide opening formed in the second outer surface at a position facing the first guide opening. 
   
     
     
         10 . A printing tape cassette comprising:
 a roll configured of a printing tape wound about a winding axis; and   a case housing the roll and having:
 a discharge port for discharging the printing tape to outside the case; and 
 a guide surface for guiding the printing tape discharged through the discharge port, 
   wherein the printing tape is wrapped around the guide surface to form a spiral portion whose angle of rotation about a central axis of the spiral portion is greater than or equal to 180 degrees, the central axis being parallel to the winding axis of the roll.   
     
     
         11 . The printing tape cassette according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the case has a coupling surface on which a gear cassette including a gear can be arranged, the coupling surface crossing the winding axis of the roll.   
     
     
         12 . The printing tape cassette according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the case includes a positioning part that positions the printing tape cassette relative to the gear cassette, the positioning part being provided on the coupling surface.   
     
     
         13 . The printing tape cassette according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a gear disposed in the case so as to be separated from the roll in a direction parallel to the winding axis of the roll.